be saide that they doe as the firste Christians did which denyed and destroyed the false and superstitious religion of the Heathens for that the Christians did that by manifest Commission from God himselfe by working of Miracles by planting Christian religion in place thereof but the Protestantes neither doe that which they do by any authoritie from God nor euer could work any one miracle as is afore-saide and insteede of that which they reiect pull downe they place iust nothing THE XV. REASON Diuinitie IF you looke into the Vniuersities of the Catholiks of Protestants you shal see in the one the whole corps of Diuinitie and of Christian trueth most pythelie and profoundly taught but in the other nothing but a number of pelting obiections taken out of Caluins Institutions or out of the Magdeburgenses or out of some Hereticall Pamphlet together with wrested interpretations of the new Testament which they haue learned of Beza or of some such like fellow in some they trouble themselues with nothing but onely with the Controuersies of this time that is all the Diuinity which they haue or meddle withall But the Catholike Diuines studie and teache in theyr Schooles most exactlie all thinges vvhich man may in this life know of God ALMIGHTIE of his Simplicitie Perfection Goodnesse Infinitie of his being in his creatures of his immutabilitie Eternitie Vnitie knowledge and seeing of him of his names Science Idees Life Will Loue Iustice and Mercie Prouidence Power Felicitie of the Blessed Trinitie of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of theyr Equalitie Vnitie Consubstantialitie in one GOD-HEADE of the Creation of thinges of Angels of theyr substance Incorporcitie locall motion Knowledge Will Loue Production Goodnesse and Badnesse of mans Creation of his Bodie Soule of all the powers and parts thereof of his Propagation of the end whereunto hee is created of Vertue and Vice in generall and in particular of the Incarnation of Gods Sonne ioyning two most different natures of God and Man both entire both complete without cōmixtion or confusion into the vnitie of one person of the perfections defects assumpted by him of the Resurrection Iudgemēt and of many other profound pointes vvhich the Protestantes neuer beate their braines about and indeede they cannot possiblie studie these thinges throughlie beeing somuch occupied about wooing vvenching and wiueing taking vppon them to be Doctours of Diuinitie and Husbandes also And therefore if the learnedst amongst them should appeare in Catholicke Schooles or Vniuersities abroade hee would not once dare to open his mouth in matters of Learning among the great nūber of most excellent learned men which there are founde as wee haue vvell proued by such of your Protestants as nowe and then goe abroade to forraine VNIVERSITIES and are very quicklie brought to Confesse theyr inequalitie in this kinde for that they scarce vnderstand the verie ordinarie tearmes of the learned sciences which the others doe fullie possesse And I pray you what a learned Clargie was there in Queene Maryes time in our Countrie of England in respect of these pore creatures that occupy now theyr Prebends and sit in the sunne-shine of theyr new pretended Ghospell with theyr Wiues and Children rounde about them Were not one Tonstall one Watson one Christopherson for learning one Fecknā one Gardener one White for wisdome learning togeather able to set to Schoole all your ruffed Cleargie at this day for tearme of life and after as by their workes writings yet extant doth wel appeare This grosse ignorance of these newe Ghospellers is the cause that the people doe remaine vtterly voide of the knowledge of mysteries which they are bound to beleeue vppon paine of damnation and they cannot otherwise be when as their Leaders Doctours are altogether vnskilfull of the points afore-named But if they can speake a litle Greeke and a few words in Hebrew and vse some Inke horne Eloquence with rayling against Pope and Papistes then are they forsooth deepe Diuines Take the most learned Doctour of them all and set him to reason with an Heathen or with an Atheist and you shall see what goodly arguments hee will make nay you shall see him betray the truth for lack of learning for that he is vtterly ignorant as they are all of Schoole Diuinitie And hereupon it is that theyr Preachers comming to reason vvith the Turkish Priestes haue beene driuen to yeelde and haue become Mahometans for indeed one who taketh vpon him to be Doctor of Diuinitie ought to be so instructed furnished with Philosophie Morall Physicall and Metaphysicall with Logicke and with all humane helps with Councels Fathers Histories and such like and not only with the bare text of the Bible as that he may be able to defend the faith of Christ in all points against Iewes Turkes Heathens Atheistes not only against heretiks And here I cānot but admire the prouidēce goodnes of God towards his Church in furnishing it with all kinds of learning sciences whereby it may defend and maintaine it self against all sorts of enimies be they Iewes Turks Heathens Atheists or Heretikes vvhatsoeuer for in the Vniuersities thereof you may see most learnedly substantially orderly and vniuersallie taught all Christian truth and that in short space for in 4. or 5. yeares the whole course of Diuinity is taught vnder two or three readers in the same time the Controuersies by another reader by another all the new Testament is learnedlie foundly expounded besides an 100. publike Disputations euerie yeare of some whole matter as of Baptisme of the Eucharist of the Trinitie of the Incarnation of Angels of the Supremacie c. and withall the whole Bible read ouer at Table euery yeare alwaies after Dinner and Supper two Chapters of it one of the new and another of the old testament diligentlie examined vvith familiar conference betweene the learned and the younger sort And besides all this there are taught Cases of Conscience in which is set downe what is sinne and vvhat not the differences of sinnes which great which lesser c. which is a most fruitfull a most profitable kind of knowledge and therefore is much studied and practised by Catholike Priests Diuines who teach the people thereby to rule and to order their liues and actions Neyther doth the Protestant meddle with these matters of Conscience but fraighteth his ship only with Faith and neuer beateth his braine about sinnes for that he thinketh none to be imputed to such Predestinated as they all weene them-selues to be vvhich causeth the people theyr followers to be vtterly ignorant of the nature differences and quality of sins and consequently nothing fearefull or stayed by any conscience to committ the same THE XVI REASON Holinesse of Life ALthough vpon externall outwarde holinesse vve may not infallibly inferre true Religion for that among Iewes Turkes and other Infidelles some make great shewe of piety and deuotion yet we may truelie argue that
hath yet a far greater sway in the world then any other religion euer had or hath And worthie it is to be noted that in no land nor countrie vnder Heauen euer was or is any persecution of any moment against Papists as you terme them or against the Priests of that religion in regard that they be Papists or Priests made by authoritie from the Sea of Rome but only in England And in verie deede the vvhole world doth wonder that little England dare and is not ashamed to doe that which neuer was seene in the world before for let a Seminary priest as they cal him keepe him out of England and hee is safe enough in any region vnder heauen This I say by the way for that it greeueth me at the very hart to heare that my deare country doth persecute that religion which all the world hath ioifully embraced or at the least doth willingly tolerate as though she were wiser then all the world besides is or euer hath beene or then al her Elders Or as though Englishe Protestantes knewe and sawe more than all the whole Learned men of Christendome haue done for so many ages together And I pray you tell me if an hearbe should be presented to you to eat that al learned Physitions for a thowsand yeeres together haue iudged to bee rācke poison only some one or two of later yeeres haue begun to teache the contrary without actuall experience whether it be so or no but onlie by discourse and newe arguments of their owne braine would you abstaine to eate it or no Or if an action should be offered you there in England which by all old Lawyers iudgement of former times hath beene taken for high-treason Ipso facto consequently losse of life and lands though some newer lawyers were of contrary opinion that nowe it is not woulde you not looke twise before you would leape except you were out of your wittes But in this other case although all auncient Diuines and Doctours for aboue a thowsand yeres together haue taught the Catholike Romane Religion to be true indeede and only Friar Luther a loose Apostata and Sir Iohn Caluin a seare-backt Priest for Sodomy haue begun in our daies to teache the contrary for feare of beeing punished by the Magistrates of the said Catholike Religion for wicked and badde life yet will they Protestants rushe out cast at all and will hazarde Hell and all Eternity of tormentes thereon depending Who will denie this to bee headlong and hare-braine dealing Surely this vniuersal consent of Christendome against two or three so contemptible authors of nouelties are more than sufficient to induce anye man of reason to looke about him and to consider what hee doth and whether he may aduenture his soule vpon such inequality of testimonies as this is betweene two or three Nouellants and twenty millions of holy graue auncientes and no doubt in Westminster hall this difference of witnesses woulde preuaile with anye equall and discreet iudge or iurie Neither may the Protestantes nowe at length glory in their great number as some of them haue donne for that their Religion is there in England in Scotlande and some thereof in Irelande Apol. Eccles Ang. and in the Lowe-countries in some parts of Germany and a fewe of them in Fraunce for they neuer yet passed into Asia nor into Affrica nor into Greece nor into many places of Europe much lesse into the Indies But indeed if you rightly scanne their Doctrine you shall finde that your Religion Protestantine of Englande is no where in the worlde else that Englishe seruice contained in your boke of Common praier is vnknowen condemned of all other Nations and people vnder the cope of Heauen So that in very deed the doctrine of your Protestantes is taught or receaued no where but in Englande and the Puritane Doctrine of Scotlande the contrarietie thereof duelye considered is no where but in Scotlande the Lutherane Doctrine taught in Denmarke is no where but in Denmarke and in a fewe places of Germany the libertine Doctrine taught in the Low-countries is no where but in the Low-countries and the like may be said of other sectes Lastly I doe heere consider with my selfe if I should refuse the Catholike Romane Religion so vniuersallie taught receaued professed through out all the worlde so many ages together and embrace any of these newe silly sectes aduenturing my soul therupon what all my progenitours ancestours if they were here againe and sawe me doe so would say vnto me I gesse they would vse such speeches as these what doest thou condemne all our iudgementes and doings Doest thou maligne that Religion which we so highly esteemed and sought to aduaunce Doest thou sende vs al to hel and damnation Wilt thou iudge thy selfe wiser and more in Gods fauour than any of vs were And many such like speeches I thinke they would vse THE SIXT REASON Miracles True miracles were neuer wrought but by them who were of true religion for that they are donne only by the power of God Now it is so manifest that there hath beene almost an infinite number of myracles wrought by those who were of the Catholike Romane Religion and neuer any by them who were not of that Church since Christes time as he who shal deny it may be proued no lesse impudent and shamelesse than he who shal denie that euer there was any Masse saide in times past in England or that euer there were any warres betweene Turkes and Christians or that ther be any such countries as the East West Indies Which things if a man should deny would he not of all men be deemed not only impudent but madde drunken or a foole And surely the one is no lesse knowne by al approued writers and eie witnesses than the other For as in the Gospell and in the Actes the holy Scriptures witnesse that miracles were wrought by Christ and his Apostles so doe most approued authors of euery age vntil this day testifie and recorde the continuance of the working thereof in the Catholike Romane Church the which Authors for the most part were eie-witnesses of the saide miracles as for exāple In the second age were wrought those wonderful miracles by the Christian Souldiers in the armie of M. Antonius Tert. in lib ad Scap. in apol c. 5 Euseb lib. 5. hist c. 5. Oros lib. 7. hist c. 15 which Tertullian Eusebius Orosius the Emperoor himselfe haue recorded In the third age were the miracles of Gregorius Thaumaturgus witnesses S. Basil lib. de spiritu sancto Cap. 29. Gregory Nyssen in vita eius Hierom de viris illustrib Ruffinus lib. 7. hist cap. 25. In the fourth of S. Anthony Hilarion Martine Nicolas and of others In the fifte those which S. Augustine setteth downe lib. 22. de ciuit Cap. 8. In the sixt those which S. Gregory maketh mention of lib. 3. dial Cap. 2. 3. In the seauenth those
which were done in England in the coÌ„uersioÌ„ therof writteÌ„ by the same Greg. li. 9. ep 58. And by venerable Bede l. 1. hist Ca. 31. In the eight the miracles of S. Cutbert S. Iohn in England also Bede lib. 4. hist 5. In the ninth the miracles of Tharasius writteÌ„ by Ignat. Nicen. of others In the tenth the miracles of S. Romuald recorded by S. Pet. Damian of S. Wenceslaus of others which Surius writeth In the eleueÌ„th the miracles of S. Edward k. vir of S. Ans of others In the twelfth the miracles of S. Mal. S Barn of others In the thirteenth the miracles of S. Fran. S. Dom. S. Bonauent S. S. Celest of others In the fourteenth the miracles of S. Bernardine S. Kather. of Sieuna of others In the fifteenth the miracles of S. Vinc. S. Ant. of others And last of al in this our sixteenth age are the miracles of the glorious S. Fran. de Paula of the holy Iesuit Zauer Aug. de vtil cred cap. 17. lib. cont ep fund cap. 4. in the Indies of many moe And therfore I say vnto you out of S. Ang. I am bound tied in the Catholike Church by the band or chaine of myracles And I am bolde considering and moste steedefastlye beleuing these infinite glorious myracles of all times and ages in the Catholike Romane Church to crye out to Almighty God with Richard de S. Victore lib. 1. de trin cap. 2. Lord if it be not true which we beleeue thou hast deceaued vs for these haue beene confirmed in vs by such signes and woonders as could not bee wrought but by thee But on the contrary part neuer any Protestant coulde worke any myracle at all but assaying to make some shewe thereof to make their Doctrine the more probable to their followers felt the iust reuengement of God who turned all to their shame and confusion as hee did by Simon Magus Egesippus lib. 3. de excid hierosol ca. 2. by Cyrola the patriarke of the Arrians as witnesseth Grego Turones lib. 2. hist Franc. cap. 3. by the Donatists Optatus lib. 2. contr Parmen And in our daies by Luther endeuoring to dispossesse a wenche and by Caluin going about to delude his disciples as you may reade in Hierom Bolsec in vit Caluin cap. 13. Vid. Staph in abs resp And therefore they are most foolishe and miserably inconsiderate who beleeue these newe fellowes not beeing able to quicken a flea leaue the doctrine of the Catholike Church coÌ„firmed with innumerable miracles THE VII REASON Visions and the gifte of Prophecie AS TRVE Miracles neuer were wrought but by them who were of the true Church so heauenly Visions and the gifte of Prophecie were neuer founde to bee but in the same And therefore the holye Apostle amongest other thinges which he vseth to commend his Doctrine himselfe to the Corinthians against Heretickes 2. Cor. 12. and false Apostles he bringeth in this as one saying Now will I come to Visions and Reuelations of our Lord c. 2. Pet. 1. And S. Peter alleageth for confirmation of his preaching the traÌ„sfiguratioÌ„ of our lord in the mount which he sawe Mat. 17. Act. 10. 11. calleth it a Vision he had a Vision of a sheet with al kind of beasts in it wheÌ„ he was to deale with the Gentiles And for the trueth of Religion and confirmation of that which they did Act. 2. he alleageth the prophecie of Ioell Ioel. cap. 2 who sayeth amongst other thinges Your young men shall see Visions and to bee briefe of this sort is the whole boke of the Apocalyps So that to see these kind of heauenly Visions and thereby to foretel things most certainly is only amongst them who are of the true Church For although there haue beene prophecies amongest the Heathens yet were they not vndoubtedly true as the Oracles of Apollo such like illusions except they were for the confirmatioÌ„ of right Religion as the prophecies of the Sybills Euseb lib. 5. hist cap. 16. 18. and of Balaam And the same may be saide of heretikes as of Montanus of Luther of Muncer and of such like who loke vpon them to prophecie some to their vtter shame some to their own destruction But the Catho Romane Church hath had in it in all ages those which had true Visions Cochlaeus in actis Lutheri and the gifte of true prophecie as Agabus Act. 11. Gregory Thaumaturge so Basil li. de spiritu sancto Cap. 29. S. Anthony the Abbote Iohn of whom see S. Aug. lib. 5. de ciuit Cap. 26. S. Monica see Aug. lib. 3. Confes Cap. 11. S. Benedicte see Gregor lib. 2. dial Cap. 15. S. Bernard see in eius vita lib. 4. Cap. 3. S. Frauncis see in eius vita Bonauentura with many others for seldome was ther any who had the gifte of miracles but the same had this gifte also And in these daies I knowe diuerse and sundry Papists as you cal them who haue seen vndoubtedly wonderful Visions which perhaps you maye see recorded hereafter with sufficient and irrefragable testimony THE VIII REASON Scriptures NEither may here the Protestant reply and say that the Papistes builde vpon Miracles Visions Prophecies and vpon such like but not vpon the WORDE for al that they alleadge are most agreeable to the worde of God Neither doe they teach any Doctrine but such as is deriued out of the holy Bible for the maintaining thereof they are not compelled to denye certaine partes of Gods holy Booke as the Protestantes and their predecessours heretiks haue bin inforced to do The Manichees for that their heresies were so manifestly confuted by the Gospel of Saint Mathewe Aug. l 28. con Faust cap. 2. de vtil cred cap 3. and by the Actes of the Apostles as they coulde coine no aunswere nor other shifte they denyed them to bee Scripture The Ebinites because the Epistles of Saint Paul disproued most plainelye Cyrcumcision which they maintained denied them to be Scripture Luther reiected the Epistle of S. Iames because it was so plaine against the doctrine of onely Faith His ofspring refused the bookes of Tobias of Ecclesiasticus of the Machabees and of some others because in them is plainly taught the Doctrine of the custody of Aungells of Free-will of Praier for the Faithfull Soules departed and of Prayer to Saints al whâ—ch they deny and therefore must they needes denie those parts of the holy Bible For heretikes euer framed the Bible to their opinions chainging wresting paring sometimes flatly reiecting al which made ouerplainely against such Doctrine as they deuised and so doe most impudentlye the Protestantes nowe Whereas the Catholikes euer squared their Doctrine by the line and the leuell of the Worde of her Spouse and therefore neuer had cause to reiecte the least â—otte of the holy Bible and at one worde the Catholikes followe the Bible
Cirinth for the Apostles Lib. 3. c. 30 and their schollers as witnesseth Nicephorus vvere so warie in this case that they would not so much as once reason the matter with any of them that endeuoured by their leasinges to corrupt the truth And holy Ignatius boldly affirmeth that Epist 6. ad Philadelphenses vvho so flieth not from a false preacher shal be damned into Hell 13 I should be partaker of all their wickednes consequently in daunger of al the punishment mischiefe which may befal them especially being present with them at the deede wherein principally they offend God from vvhich thing I am discouraged by the terrible death of all thē which were in company with the Schismatikes Chore Num 16. Dathan and Abiron which example as saith Saint Cyprian ought to mooue vs not to assiste or further Hereticall oblations Cyp. Epist 76. praiers sermons and errours 14 I should contrary to the iudgements of the learned of all Religions for the Gentiles thought it not lawfull to enter into the Iewes Synagogues Lact lib. 4. 5. diuin instit cur Senec de hist mahom chronic Wolsang Drisl Eus lib. 3. 4. Aug. li. de vnit Ecl. lib. 2. coa Petilian Ioh. Gard. in his Cat. art 86. or into Christiā Churches The Turks at this day refuse to doe the same the Arrians Donatists and such like would not one goe to anothers conuenticles nor to the Catholikes seruice nor the Catholikes to any of theirs The Anabaptistes will not goe to the Lutherans Churches nor the Lutheranes to the Trinitaries The Puritanes vvill hardlie be drawen to Protestantes seruice neither will the Protestantes in Catholike Countreis come to Catholike Seruice And the Iewes will not go to any Seruice but their own Those Protestantes which in Queene Maries dayes had anie conscience refused to go to Masse And therefore in reason you shoulde not mooue me much lesse vrge me to doe the thing vvhich the learned on your side in theyr owne case would not doe because they iudge it vnlawfull 15 I should doe euil to goe to your Seruice because I cannot but in mine own conscience iudge it to be dishonourable to God and consequentlie naught For to omit to speake how it is deuised by your selues and how your fellovv PVRITANES doe vtterlie condemne it I knowe your Translations of Holie Scriptures to be false shameles so as if my scholler should translate one of Tullyes Epistles in such corrupt maner I would soundlie breeche him for his labour Then your Ministers are no Priestes but meere Lay-men consequently haue no authoritie to deale in such things Besides you haue in your Seruice diuerse false and blasphemous things put them to the people for Scripture as in a Geneua Psal you pray to be defended frō Pope Turke Papistry c. And to speake what I thinke you haue left out all good thinges haue chosen to your selues iuste nothing of Catholike seruice although the people were made to beleeue that it was the old Seruice put into English 16 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which neuer was heard of in the world before these dayes nor yet is in anie place els in all the world but onelie there in England 17 I shoulde goe to that Seruice which you amongst your selues cannot agree vpō or decree to continue And it had by all likelihoode beene chaunged againe before this day if the grauer sorte had not made some stay for feare of incurring the note of inconstancy for how many bils I pray you haue there bin put vp in Parliaments about the chaunging of your Seruice Agree therefore amongest your selues first what seruice you will haue to continue and then I will aunswere you reasonablie to your demaund 18 In so doing my soule should goe one way and my body another which ought not to be for if they should goe two waies in this worlde they could not be ioyned togeather after the resurrection in the next life but the one should goe to heauen the other to hell which cannot be for if the bodie serue not God together with the soule in this life why should it enioy heauē in the next And if it be with Protestantes at their Seruice in this worlde why should it not be where the Protestants be in the next 19 I should loofe all the benefit of Catholike religion so either leaue off all conscience or els liue in continuall torment of mind and if I should die in that state I should be vtterlie cast away for euer Besides I shoulde loose the merite of all the good works that I euer did in all my life because I giue ouer working before euening so loose my pennie wages which otherwise would be truely paide mee Mat. 20 20 If I should so doe either to gratifie you other of my friends or by commaūdement of any power vnder her Maiestie neyther you nor they could take it well or account of mee better then of a trayterous caitiue for that you must needs think that I who will violate my faith to God almighty in doing contrarie to my cōscience iudgment for any worldly respect will easily breake my faith promise with man according to the iudgment of Constantius the Emperour Eus de vit canstant l. 1. cap. 11. for how can he be true vnto man that is conuicted of periurie to God verily such must needs be deemed of the wise to be flatterers turne-coates and great hypocrits 21 And now to come to the aunswere which you say women such sillie soules are accustomed to make I should do contrary to my conscience which thing in no case is lawfull to be done Yea if your seruice were good godly indeed the very true Seruice of God yet so long as I thinke otherwise of it I may in no case yeeld to go to it because an erroneous conscience bindeth a man to follow it neuer to doe any thing against it according to iudgement of all learned men of what sect or religion soeuer they be And therefore you may not request me much-lesse vrge me to go to your seruice before I be perswaded in my conscience that it is lawful so to doe Greatly therfore doe you offend God there in England in forcing people to goe to the Church contrary to their consciences and in imprisoning those who refuse so to do for no man is able to maister his own conscience knowledge and to doe against it he ought not therefore it is not in his power or will to goe to your Seruice without offence 22 I should do contrary to the Cānons custome of the Catholik church and against the examples of all Holie Saints learned Fathers Contrarie to the 63. Canon of the Apostles and against Concil Carth. 4. cap. 71. 72. Cōcil Antioch cap. 2. 5. Con. Laodicen c. 9. 32. 33. 37. Con. Mag. Later cap. 70. and against diuers
other Councels as also against the late Councell of Trent where the matter was put English Catholikes making suite that it might be couertly discussed decided to 12. learned Fathers whose iudgement in this matter is yet extant and it had bin superfluous to haue in any publike CanoÌ„ there condemned the same which by so many Councels before that was plainly forbidden Against the examples of Saints learned Fathers as of S. I. Euang. which I recited before of S. Polycarpe of S. Denis Bishop of Alexandria of S. Anth of Origen of Beniolus S. Amb. S. Athan. S. Chrisost and of many moe 23 I should in so doing shew my self a Neuter that is such a one as is not affected to either religion consequeÌ„tly of no religion Apoc. 3. but an Atheist or neither hote nor cold but luke warme therfore to be spued out of the mouth of God 3. Reg. 18. for hee who haulteth on both sides is on neither side but a traitour to bothe And from the one and the same fouÌ„tain there runneth not sweet sower water Iacob 3. neyther can any man serue two contrary masters as he can not plow with an Oxe an Asse Mat 6. Deut. 22. nor weare garments of linnin wolleÌ„ nor sow his field with two maner of seeds 24 I should in so doing be as is said before one of your congregation and yet I should be but the verie excrements or chippings of your Church for receauing no life froÌ„ Catholike religion in the corps of Protestantisme I should serue for no necessarie vse because I could not be ther but for some worldly respect so in body only by that meanes but as the haires of a mans body or nailes or euill humors which althogh they be within the body yet are they not animated by the soul but void of sense lost without paine by nature not fit to be quickned for froÌ„ the Protestant spirit I hope I should sucke no zeale of that sect from the soule of the Catholike Church I could receaue no life because I cutt my selfe off froÌ„ it by yeelding to your seruice and so I should remaine void of sense life and soule and should be nothing but Caluins excrements 25 I should shewe my selfe a colde Catholike indeed to haue no zeale at all for that deeming you to bee Gods enemies yet I can finde in my hart not only to be in companye with you in ciuill affaires but also in your seruice far from the spirit of the Prophet Dauid Psal 16. who hated the congregation of such and was euen eaten with the zeale of Gods Church and greatly loued the beutye thereof Yea I shoulde doe quite contrary for when I see a theefe I should run with him take part with the adulterers And to conclude with answering your demaund why I will not as well goe to your seruice as eate fleshe vpon a fryday when vrgent occasions driue me thereunto I say that Religion being a vertue which giueth honour reuerence to God doth sometimes coÌ„mand other vertues directeth their actions to Gods honor Theod. 22. q. 85. art 3 As fasting is a vertue that subdueth mans body and may be commaunded by religion to serue God withall Other actes there are which only belong to religion not to other vertues which haue no other praise but that they are done for the reuerence of God of vvhich sort are sacrifies kneeling knocking on the brest such like And of this sort is the ceremonie of going to such a place more then to another Herevpon it is that one may eate flesh vpon a friday or other fasting in diuers cases and yet in no case goe to seruice with those who are of a false religion for to abstaine vpon certaine dayes is not a proper or immediate act of religion but commaunded by religion being indeed an act of temperance so intended by holy Church although it may be vsed to honor God with all And because none vse to fast on such daies but Catholikes it doth oftentimes betoken a Catholike distinguisheth him from Protestants yet because the immediate end of the law is temperance the act of eating of flesh or of other forbidden meats hath other naturall ends besides religion therefore it doth not necessarily containe anie signification of religion but the act of going to the Church doth of it own nature by common acceptation of all betoken deuotion and religion Thus haue I brieflie yeelded you some reasons and authorities why I may not satisfie your request condiscende to your desires in going to your seruice I coulde haue yeelded many moe but I thought these might suffice you and cause you to surcease from your worldly carnall perswations for hereafter I meane not to aunswere you any more such letters but only to say vnto you goe behinde me Satans for you are scandales to me And so desiring our Parents blessing with humble commendations to theÌ„ and harty to you and to all the reste of our kinsfolkes and friendes I leaue you all to our Lord and Sauiour who send vs his grace in this world and his glory in the next From my Chamber at Palempyne this 18. of Februarie 1600. FINIS ✚ A bryef short declaracyon made wherbye eâ—… chrysten man maye knowe what is a sacrament Of what partes a sacraments consysteth and is made for what intent sacramentes were instituted and what is the pryncypall effect of sacramentes finally of the abuse of the sacrament of chrysten body and bloud Imprinted At London by Robert Stoughton Dwellynge wythin Ludgate at the sygne of the Bysshoppes Myter